On Voulis Street, Birdman has achieved something rarely seen on the Athenian dining scene: the ability to transport you instantly from the centre of Athens to Tokyo, or to the Lower East Side of New York. A specialist in carnivorous pleasure and hospitality, Aris Vezenes has created a space where the idea of a Japanese Bar & Grill is pursued with near-religious dedication.
Yet Birdman is not only about food. Its affection for listening bars, the velvety sound of vinyl records and its unmistakably metropolitan energy all converge at the imposing bar that dominates the room. Sitting on the high stools, leaving behind the noise of the city, we placed ourselves in the hands of Bar Manager Dimitris Kasvikis and Christos Piskopos for an experience that makes one thing clear: Birdman is now very much a destination for its cocktails as well.
The bar experience at Birdman is genuinely distinctive, which explains why securing a seat remains a challenge even after so many years. Before the glass ever reaches your lips, the atmosphere has already done its work: low lighting, carefully curated DJ selections and a sense of controlled intimacy set the perfect backdrop. The cocktail list is intelligently structured into Aperitivo, Reimagined Classics and Non-Alcoholic selections, and, together with the spirits offering, reveals a deep understanding of Japanese distillates as well as contemporary mixology.
We began our tasting with the Aperitivo section, starting with the Oshakawa (Gimlet), made with Japanese gin, kaffir lime leaves and a delicate cherry blossom aroma. Crystal-clear, precise and intensely aromatic, it highlights the elegance of Japanese gin and is served short, over a single large block of ice, allowing its structure to unfold gradually. We stayed within the same stylistic register with the Ronin’s Seppuku (Negroni). Here, the Birdman team offers a thoughtful reinterpretation using Japanese gin, vermouth and bitter, enriched with hojicha tea and caramelised nuts. The roasted character of the hojicha adds depth and earthy complexity, while the nuts introduce an unexpected yet welcome richness, softening and rounding the bitterness that defines a classic aperitivo.
Staying within the Reimagined Classics, one drink in particular immediately caught my attention: the Masamune’s Eye (Tommy’s Margarita). Built on a base of blanco tequila, it is layered with mango, milky oolong, honey, sriracha and sesame. The result is a beautifully calibrated cocktail, where the sweetness of mango and honey is expertly counterbalanced by the gentle heat of the sriracha, while the sesame leaves a savoury, lingering finish that subtly nods to Birdman’s kitchen. What impressed me most was the pepper-infused dust, which adds a dry, spicy edge and injects tension into every sip. Equally distinctive was the Hanako San (Bloody Mary). This unconventional take combines sake, Islay whisky, tomato juice and the house spice mix. I have to admit, it ranks among the finest Bloody Marys I have tasted in recent years. The smoky character of the Islay whisky integrates seamlessly with the tomato’s umami depth and the bright acidity of the sake, creating a drink that is robust, layered and remarkably coherent.
As the evening unfolded, I asked for a Martini. Dimitris did not serve the one currently listed on the menu, but instead poured me a version that is about to make its debut. What followed was a textbook Dry Martini. Perfectly chilled, unapologetically boozy and layered with a subtle umami depth, it was an inspired twist that will delight anyone with a genuine love for the drink.
Of course, at Birdman, a drink is never enjoyed in isolation. While the menu is rich in meat-forward choices, the gastronomic surprise of the evening came from a seemingly modest dish. Yasai, a skewer of charcoal-grilled broccoli glazed with a generous tahini sauce and finished with toasted almonds, was genuinely outstanding. The smoky char from the grill, combined with the roasted nuttiness of the almonds and the rounded richness of the tahini, created a pairing that worked beautifully with the layered complexity of the cocktails. Naturally, both the tataki and the Beef Don remain firm favourites beyond the yakitori selections and are dishes I return to every time I visit.
In summary, Birdman is not simply a restaurant that happens to serve good drinks. It is a destination where the bar has developed a fully fledged identity of its own. Dimitris Kasvikis and his team (Sergios Stathopoulos, Christos Piskopos, Dimitris Kanellopoulos, Dimitris Movradin) have built a cocktail list that respects Japanese culture without slipping into pastiche, delivering drinks with clarity, technique and personality, all set to a soundtrack that would not feel out of place in the world’s leading bars.
Info: Voulis 35, Athens
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